Synopsis The place is St Oswald's, an old and long-established boys' grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald's, is finally - reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt. Who is Mole, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - and perhaps, murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?

This was a great read! I have to agree wit aava, it was addictive and I didn’t have a clue either. I really like the character of Roy Straitly, the poor man was also on the wrong track… and that was when I started having doubts. But I don’t want to spoil anything for future readers.

Thanks for sharing LastEdition! The book is on its way to India since last Thursday (via priority mail).

Oh how I love Joanne Harris. I love how she writes, her characters, her storylines, how she always wraps her mystery in layers upon layers and only when you are on the last ten pages will you finally understand. If ever I become a writer, I want to be as good as she is. One can dream, right?

I did have a spot of trouble getting into this one. I got bogged down in all the different teachers which were introduced in the space of a couple of pages. And it took me 50 pages to figure out the king/pawn chapter headings and that it was the first person changing. Then again confusion at the beginning of a book is becoming the norm, so maybe I am just getting senile. Once my confusion was resolved, however, I was sucked right in. I too liked Straitley and would love to read more about him. He was a delightful character. The perpetrator was also fascinating and I am amazed how Harris managed to write about the culprit without using any pronouns. That had to be a daunting task and she did a fabulous job because I was clueless up until Leon's discovery. A thoroughly enjoyable read (as indicated by my rating). I had to purchase my own copy before even finishing this one. I even managed to find it in a local bookstore in INDIA, if you can fathom that.

A bit of bad news. The first few pages have come unglued and are separated from the book (including the page with the BCID on it). I lack the materials to fix it properly here, so am forwarding it on in its entirety if not intact. I put a label on the inside of the front cover to insure the book doesn't become separated from its ID. Hopefully, one of the next readers will be so kind as to give it some loving care with adhesive qualities. I have the address of the next recipient, and it will go in the mail in the next few days. Thanks for sharing.

First off, I apologize for keeping the book this long. I have to say the reading was slow going for me- it took me about two weeks to read. As mentioned by one of the journalers above, it was difficult for me to keep track of the characters and since life has been a little hectic, I was only able to read five pages or so at a time.

I was able to finish up the book due to a plane trip for work. What a twist towards the end- finally it drew me in! I'm quite glad that I don't read journal entries prior to reading a book, because it was an absolute surprise.

I have the next participant's address ready to go- however, I think our post office might be closed on Monday due to President's Day. I will make sure to send this out at the next opportunity.

It's here! Our neighbor just brought this over and said it was accidentally delivered to her a couple days ago. She opened the package before she realized it wasn't hers and says she's now going to look for this book because she wants to read it, too!

This book was good company on a cold, rainy night. It felt just a little long; I started flagging about three-quarters through. But I rallied and am glad I did! It was a fun ride. I have Carole888's address and hopefully will get this in the mail Monday, weather permitting!

The book arrived safely today. Thank you to ealasaidmae for sending it over and to LastEdition for sharing. I will abandon all other reading for now as this is the only bookring in my posession. (By the way, thank you to jnpert for the "repair-job" on the book. It is still looking good!)

This was a good read. I was totally unaware and in complete shock towards the end, that I kept thinking ..... how did I miss this? I love the way the chapters are set out, (the title headings with the symbols to show who is speaking, the short chapters etc) making it all quite easy to read and put aside, when needed. In fact I found the whole design of the book .... the cover, the chess pieces and how it all fitted together really quite stylish. I will be recommending it to others. Thank you LastEdition for sending this one on its travels! Elasaidmae ..... thank you so much for posting it to me! (I am still using your gorgeous postcard as a bookmark. Thank you!) I have grubsneerg's address and this book will be continuing its travels soon!

Every Joanne Harris book I read is better than the last! This was so different from her food trilogy of books; it was like discovering a brand new writer. Great story, rich characters and settings, well crafted, wonderful twists and turns--I love books like this.

Just finished the book. Agree with a lot of what has been said here already -- started to lag in the middle, ending a bit anti-climactic, but all in all it was a good read. And , without being a spoiler, wow! Didn't see that coming.

Contacting JenKazoo and will send off ASAP.

Also -- the binding is coming undone and some pages are loose (it would seem again) -- I've glued the cover back on as best I could but, not being a bookbinder, I cannot promise how long it will hold up.

Well, I am the last one in the ray and unfortunately, the last reader this copy will ever see. It is falling apart and I do not think mending it would have a good outcome. Almost all the pages are falling out and the cover has come off completely. It's time to send it off to Book Heaven.